By KUNA,
Kuwait : The fifth constituency (Ahmadi) is geographically spread out over a large area of the country, and groups the largest number of eligible voters.
The constituency holds 20 areas: Ahmadi, Hadiya, Fintas, Mahboula, Abu Halifa, Sabah Al-Salem Area, Riqqa, Subahiya, Thahar, Oqaila, Qurain, Addan, Qusour, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Fahad Al-Ahmad Area, Jaber Al-Ali Area, Fahaheel, Manqaf, Ali Sabah Al-Salem Area, Mina Abdullah, Al-Zour and Wafra.
The number of candidates competing in the constituency reached 74. Of these, 30 are in the 40-49 age group, accounting for 40.5 percent. There were also 22 candidates falling in each of the 30-39 and above 50 category, or 29.7 percent each.
According to the former 20-constituency electoral system, these areas previously represented the 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th constituencies. The total number of candidates running in all five for the June 2006 elections was 92. Of these, 40 fell in the 40-49 age group, or 43.4 percent, while 37 were in aged 30-39 or 40.2 percent. The remaining 15 or 16.3 percent were above the age of 50.
As for the educational level of the candidates running in the fifth constituency, 37 hold bachelors degrees or above, accounting for 50 percent. Moreover, 17 candidates or 22.9 percent hold diplomas, while 14 candidates or 18.9 percent hold high school degrees, and six candidates or 8.1 percent hold middle school degrees.
In terms of higher degrees, four hold PhDs and five hold masters.
There are four female candidates in the fifth constituency race, of which one holds a masters degree, another holds a bachelors degree, a third holds a diploma and the fourth a middle school degree.
Looking back to the 2006 elections, we find that of the 92 candidates running at the time, 45.6 percent or 42 candidates held bachelors degrees, while 18 candidates or 10.5 percent held diplomas, 23 candidates or 25 percent held high school degrees, and only 9 candidates or 9.7 percent held middle school degrees.
As for female candidates that ran in 2006, they were only three. One held a law practice license, another a secretarial diploma and the third a high school degree.
Current, there are 101,294 eligible voters in the fifth constituency of which 46,876 are men and 54,418 are women. The constituency holds 28 percent of the country’s total number of voters, 361,684.
In 2006, there were 92,533 voters in the same area, with 40,166 men and 52, 367 women, accounting for 27.1 percent of the total number of eligible voter in the country, which at the time stood at 340,248.